Pilgrimage with a medieval flavour. Sygard Grytting treats hungry pilgrims to meat and fish from nearby forests and mountains, homemade bread and cakes, and marmalade made with berries from the garden.

Visiting Sygard Grytting farm is like going back in time. Both the guest house and the family tradition date back to medieval times, and it has been run by the same family for some 700 years. The current owner Stig Grytting is the 16th generation, at least.

Sygard Grytting.Photo: pilegrimsleden.no

Food from the farm

Stig and his wife Hilde are both engaged in farming, and they have also developed the farm's accommodation services and offer their guests three course dinners. The food is made from scratch, and the menu often features the farm's own produce.

The lamb comes from animals that have grazed right outside the doors, unless they have been roaming around in the surrounding mountains. Moose and reindeer meat are sourced from forests and mountains only a short distance away, and the same goes for the mountain fish.

Potatoes are grown on the farm. Jam is made with berries from the garden, and the desserts often feature fruit from the garden.

The bread and pastries are all homemade, and some of the bread is baked in the old kitchen's traditional bread oven.

Pilgrimage in Norway

The St. Olav Ways – the pilgrim paths to Trondheim – consist of six pilgrim routes, all leading to the Nidarosdomen cathedral in Trondheim. The routes make up a total of around 2,000 kilometres of tranquil scenery through picturesque villages with a strong cultural heritage.

Sygard Grytting is an old manor house that dates back to the Middle Ages.

It is located in the Gudbrandsdalen valley between Hundorp and Vinstra.

The owners are at least the 16th generation on the farm.

They have been awarded a price for their conservation work on the farm.

The farm consists of over 25 houses and includes one of the finest and most distinctive small hotels in Norway.

The medieval hostel is a listed loft from the 1300s.

The loft sleeps up to 18 people in the same room that pilgrims slept on in medieval times.

The farm offers several possibilities for accommodation, both on the historic site and in the pilgrim hostel.

Sygard Grytting.Photo: Ian Brodie / Lillehammer.com

Elegantly restored

Sygard Grytting consists of around 25 houses of different sizes. The farmers themselves live in the stately building from the early 1700s, located in the inner courtyard.

The buildings have been painstakingly restored over the past 25 years, an accomplishment they have received numerous awards for. Paying close attention to tradition, some of the buildings in the inner courtyard have been renovated into a historic hotel with 12 rooms of a high standard. Sygard Grytting also boasts an extensive wine cellar on two floors under one of the main buildings.

Wine tasting and historical gourmet food evenings can be arranged.

The medieval loft

Out of all the grand historic surroundings, representing 700 years of history, the most special feature on the farm is no doubt the so-called langloft – the medieval loft that serves as a pilgrim hostel.

It is the largest medieval loft in Norway, and the only preserved hostel from the Catholic era.

The listed loft was built using a log construction that was known before the Black Death in 1350, Stig tells us. A letter from 1343 refers to the house as Svevnstova. It is described as being three stories high with enough space for at least 20 people.

Many a pilgrim would have stayed here on their way to the Nidarosdomen Cathedral, and so you can you!

Sygard Grytting.Photo: pilegrimsleden.no

An exceptional experience

The moment you step across the threshold to the langloft, you will sense the medieval atmosphere immediately. It is easy to feel the kinship with other pilgrims, who have stayed here since the 1300s. Sleep under sheepskin rugs in simple beds and eat your food at the long table in the same building.

During the summer season (1 July – 15 August) pilgrims may book a delightful three course meal and enjoy a homemade breakfast in the main building on the farm, or choose the traditional pilgrimage soup. Some guests prepare their own meals in the kitchen in the building Fantstugu, where it is also possible to stay overnight. For groups, a Middle Age-inspired dinner can be arranged.

It is an exceptional accommodation option for pilgrims and an experience you will never forget.

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